More than 30 representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) of China, Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) of Thailand, the China International Economic and Technical Exchange Center, the United Nations Development Program, the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Fudan University, Environmental Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University (ERIC) and other governments, scientific research institutions, universities, enterprises and non-governmental organizations and project implementation units gathered together to discuss the progress of the project and share the experience of exchange and training of young talents in the water industry.

Wang Wei, Consul, Department of International Cooperation, Science & Technology, Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), attended the opening ceremony and delivered a welcome speech. The meeting was co-chaired by Dong Yanfei, Deputy Secretary General, Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center, and Chayanis Krittasudthacheewa, Deputy Director of Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Asia Centre.

After the seminar, the project team and the participating youth representatives visited the LMC Water Center. They watched the promotional video “Exchange and Mutual Learning on the Protection of the Lancang River Source Area.”

They went to Tuancheng Lake in the Summer Palace in Haidian District, Beijing, for a field trip to learn about the economic, social, and ecological benefits of the first phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project since it was fully put into operation. Experts from Thailand said that the project has provided a guarantee for the water supply security of the capital, Beijing, and has reference significance for other countries.

The “Building Water Sector Youth Leadership Network in the Lancang-Mekong Region” project is led by Office of the National Water Resources of Thailand and jointly implemented by the Environmental Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University, SEI Asia and the LMC Water Center, and has received strong support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of China.

The implementation period is from 2023 to 2024 and aims to promote the active participation of young leaders and relevant mechanisms in Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation by strengthening youth partnerships.